Obituary of Francis J. Statkus

Reverend Monsignor Francis J. Statkus, Pastor Emeritus, Saint Colman Parish, Ardmore, died on Friday, May 5, 2017. Monsignor Statkus was born on September 17, 1921, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the son of the late Francis G. Statkus and the late Barbara (Kernauskas) Statkus. Monsignor Statkus attended Saint Casimir Parochial School, Philadelphia, and Southeast Catholic High School for Boys, Philadelphia, before entering Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. Monsignor Statkus was ordained on May 30, 1946, at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Philadelphia, by Dennis Cardinal Dougherty, and named Honorary Prelate to His Holiness Pope Paul VI on February 18, 1969. Monsignor Statkus served as Parochial Vicar, Saint Andrew Parish, Philadelphia, before being assigned as a Student Priest, Catholic University of America. He then served as Parochial Vicar at Saint George Parish, Philadelphia. He served on the faculty of Saint John Neumann High School, Philadelphia. Monsignor Statkus served as Judicial Vicar in the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas for two years. He was assigned as Parochial Vicar at Saint James Parish, Philadelphia and Sacred Heart Parish, New Philadelphia. He served as Defender of the Bond, Office of the Metropolitan Tribunal, Philadelphia; Vice Chancellor, Military Ordinariate, New York; and Chancellor, Archdiocese of Philadelphia. In 1984, Monsignor Statkus was appointed Pastor, Saint Colman Parish, Ardmore, and named Pastor Emeritus there in 1996. Reception of the Body will be held at Saint Ignatius Church, Yardley, on Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at 5:00 PM, followed by a viewing and a parish Mass will be celebrated at 7:00 PM. Most Reverend Timothy C. Senior will celebrate a Funeral Mass for Monsignor Statkus at Saint Ignatius Church, Yardley, on Thursday, May 11, 2017 at 11:00 AM. A viewing will be held beginning at 10:00 AM. Among those concelebrating the Funeral Mass will be Reverend Jonathan J. Dalin, Reverend James Grant, Reverend Alan Okon, Reverend Andrew C. Brownholtz, Reverend Anthony DiGuglielmo. Reverend Dalin will be the homilist. Monsignor Statkus is survived by his cousins, Robert Stonis, Francis Stonis, Vincent Stonis and Susan Shwope. Interment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery, Yeadon.